Pocket PC Thoughts Template Updates

[Jason Dunn]

Astute observers will notice that we've made some changes to our site template - on the left hand-column, below the skyscraper banner, we've added a small zone for text links. Text links allow us to offer a new type of advertising to sponsors, and since sponsors pay the bills that keep the site running, this is a good thing. We've taken the left-hand column and replicated it in the forums, partially extending the look of our front page into the forums.<br /><br />While I don't pretend that anyone will welcome more advertising ;-), I do hope everyone understands it's a step we needed to take in order to remain viable as a Web site. I continue to refuse pop-up/pop-under ads, full page "eyeblaster" ads, and all other ads I consider to be intrusive - but by the same token I need to continue to work with our site sponsors to keep the bills paid. Thanks for your support in this!

[PetiteFlower]

I understand you gotta do what you gotta do to stay in business, but this is really intrusive! I really hate the forums being all squashed by the left side column. I was even going to subscribe so I could turn off the ads(when I was subscribed before, I left the ads on because I wanted to support the site a little more) but even with the ads off the column is still there in the forums! Can that at least be fixed?

[foebea]

lets see . . if you have 27,000 regular visitors, and half of them subscribe at 30$ a year, that like - 400 million dollars!

Nah, I don't mind the advertising. Some of them are humourous, some of them useful (resulting in sales) some just sit in the background doing nothing. Only one brand ever gets to me - absolutly sick of vonage. they advertise everywhere. but i usually dont notice the ads that annoy, the eye tends to drift past them without registering thier presence.

Good luck with the funds!

ps, my subscription is about to end, so you can expect another drop of cash from me soon. 8)

[Ed Hansberry]

The ads look ok, but I think everyone would agree a layout like http://www.partytentcity.com/ would be more appealing. 8O

[Jason Dunn]

...but even with the ads off the column is still there in the forums! Can that at least be fixed?

Fabrizio is working on this right now. It should be fixed shortly.

As for the rest of your comments, people hate change and I'm prepared to weather the complaints and am not surprised the first was a "Fine, but..." comment. ;-)

From my point of view, it's only 125 or so pixels being taken by ads, so I don't see the forums as being "squished", but everyone is entitled to their opinion on this. I prefer fixed width sites myself, ones where text doesn't run 100% of the screen width, but I know not everyone does.

[silver99]

I've learned to ignore pop-ups and ads all together. As long as you keep given us the good news (er... I mean Pocket PC news) then I'll be here listening. You could throw in some Good News if you wanted as well.

[PetiteFlower]

Yes it looks like it's fixed now, thanks :)

I didn't mind the ads before either, they didn't interfere with my viewing area and they sometimes had interesting stuff. But for me at least, all that brightly colored flashy stuff right next to where I was trying to read was just way too distracting. If you gave the option of just turning off some of the ads but leaving like, the top banners, I would do that.

125 pixels though? On my screen the left column was almost as wide as the avatar column.

[Jason Dunn]

lets see . . if you have 27,000 regular visitors, and half of them subscribe at 30$ a year, that like - 400 million dollars!

Don't I wish! :D The reality is that a very small percentage of people subscribe, but it certainly helps pay some of the bills.

ps, my subscription is about to end, so you can expect another drop of cash from me soon. 8)

Thanks for your support! We're going to be kicking off a new series of giveaways, including some that will happen every single month, all for subscribers. :mrgreen:

[Jason Dunn]

The ads look ok, but I think everyone would agree a layout like http://www.partytentcity.com/ would be more appealing. 8O

You TOTALLY just ruined the launch of Party Tent Thoughts. :cry: :oops: :lol:

[Jason Dunn]

If you gave the option of just turning off some of the ads but leaving like, the top banners, I would do that.

We'll think about that - maybe three options: full ads, minimalist ads, no ads.

125 pixels though? On my screen the left column was almost as wide as the avatar column.

The top button is 125 pixels wide, we've just now added a bit of white space because it was a bit too squished, but that's it - maybe 135 pixels in total.

[jgalindo]

Keep up the good work!

[surur]

I was also concerned by the left sided border at the side, even though it was blank it did make everything seem squeezed. Now everything is back to normal, near blank except for content, which is exactly what I expect as a subscriber.

Non-subscribers see this.
http://surur.sytes.net/withads.jpg

Subscribers get this serene landscape of pure content
http://surur.sytes.net/subscriber.jpg

So it it annoys anyone greatly, subscribe and it will all be GONE.

Surur

[dangerwit]

As one who find ads intrusive and distracting from the real value a site has to offer, I have to agree that this is pretty minimal. In fact, I hadn't noticed until reading this thread.

That said, I adblock piles of sites, but this is one of only a small handful of sites I really don't mind the advertising on, since it advertises things I might actually be interested in. :)

*Phil

[jgrnt1]

I haven't found the ads too instrusive on PPCT. Even though I've been a subscriber for a couple of years, I haven't blocked ads, until now....and it's the layout that's the problem for me, not the ads themselves. I always surf with my Favorites open down the left side of the screen. In the forums, the extra column really does squeeze things. I don't want to have to remove my Favorites every time I visit the site, so I have to block the ads. On my home PC, since I have a higher res screen, I also run Desktop Sidebar down the right side , so even with the higher resolution, the extra column is a problem for me. But as a subscriber, I have the option to block the ads, so I can visit PPCT again without being annoyed by the squished forums.

In reality, though, I think this is because of the way I set up IE and my desktop, not the layout of PPCT. I've made choices which reduce the width of my reading area when I surf. I'm happy that being a subscriber gives me an option which keeps visiting PPCT an enjoyable experience.

[G M Fude]

The site is now starting to look busy and cluttered like the Brighthand forums, which I no longer visit for that reason. But I realise these sites require a lot of bandwidth and that ain't free; so I guess I can always take the option to subscribe. And at least there are no damn popups like Brighthand uses.

EDIT: And in fact I have now subscribed -- thanks for activating that so quickly, Jason! (note: I choose not to show the badge)

[PetiteFlower]

So I see, it was all a secret plan to get more subscribers ;)

[shawnc]

I hardly ever use my PPC anymore and post comments with only slightly more frequency. However, I check this site at least once a day primarily because of the job you guys do running and designing the site. The only way this site becomes anything more than a "niche" site for a few fanatics is to consistently find new ways to increase revenues. If that means more advertising, it's a small price for the community to pay. Members get to opt out of much of the advertising anyway and non-members.....well, last I heard, membership was open to all for a very small price.

Nice job.